Trump announces enhanced counternarcotics operation at coronavirus briefing (and related story)

What a fucking distraction. Fuck.

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Trump announces enhanced counternarcotics operation at coronavirus briefing

Trump administration officials announced Wednesday that the U.S. military would send naval ships and aircraft to the Caribbean as part of an enhanced counternarcotics operation.

President Trump and other top officials discussed the operation at the top of a White House coronavirus briefing Wednesday evening. Trump said it was important not to let drug cartels “exploit the pandemic to threaten American lives.”

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the Pentagon would deploy additional ships, aircraft and security forces to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility as part of the operation.

“At a time when the nation and the Department of Defense are focused on protecting the American people from the spread from the coronavirus, we also remain vigilant to the many other threats the country faces,” Esper told reporters.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/490704-trump-announces-enhanced-counternarcotics-operation-at-coronavirus

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In an earlier story, the same General Milley who spoke today warned that the virus matter will last for months, into the summer::

Milley warns of ‘social breakdowns’ in other countries facing coronavirus; US crisis could last months

Government forecasts predict the coronavirus will continue to spread throughout the United States for roughly three months based on its impacts on other nations, said Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He and Defense Secretary Mark Esper urged the U.S. military community to prepare to take health protection measures, which could include social distancing, possibly into the summer months.

“You’re looking at probably late May, June, maybe something as late as July,” Milley said during a virtual town hall broadcast with Esper from the Pentagon. “But we will get through it. It’s not a question of when. We will get through it, and we’ll pull together as a country and a military and we … will do whatever is required to defend the people of the United States.

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/milley-warns-of-social-breakdowns-in-other-countries-facing-coronavirus-us-crisis-could-last-months-1.623559